Failure
by Quisquilious
Summary: It broke her heart to watch, to know that she had failed him. One-Shot. DMHG. Character Death.


She had failed.

It was killing her.

Not that she had failed, but that she had failed him, and her emotions were crippling her.

She had tried so hard. Everything she could possibly think of to reverse the decision. To change their minds, but nothing had worked, and now she stood there, watching as the young man was being dragged to his death.

She hadn't known that public executions were still done in the wizarding world, but they were, and the room was packed, all seats in the viewing area were filled, and there were people standing, all here to see the criminal sent to his death, the last death eater awaiting the kiss, son of Lucius Malfoy, attempted murderer of Albus Dumbledore.

She had promised to stay away, promised that she would not watch his die, but she couldn't seem to stay away, though she knew it was not her fault, she felt as if she were the one to blame, that she could have done more to save him. She had testified in his favour, as had Harry Potter, and almost all remaining order members, but nothing had helped. The ministry had a no tolerance policy. Draco had never been under the Imperius curse, according to them, he had taken the dark mark willingly, and no death eater would be allowed to live.

She watched as Draco was strapped to the chair, magical bindings appearing to hold him in place. She winced as a strap was placed across his chest, making sure he wouldn't be moving around at all.

She hadn't wanted him to know that she was there, she planned on standing at the back, hiding from view, but she couldn't seem to stop herself, and soon she was standing almost pressed against the glass. The people behind her were complaining, she was blocking their view, but she did not care about that, all she wanted to do, was somehow break through the glass and get to him, to take him away from here.

She could tell when he noticed her, the blank look he had held so carefully on his face shattered, and his features twisted, she could see his anger, though it soon turned to sadness. A tear slid from the corner of her eye and she raised her hand to press against the glass. She saw his had twitch, as if he had thought of raising it.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the guards leaving the room, it would be over soon, the dementor would be let in to the room. She wouldn't look away from him. Unexpectedly, he smiled at her, it was small, and she wondered if maybe her being there comforted him, she wished she could talk to him, she wished her wand had not been taken from her at the door. She wished she could get inside his head.

She didn't have to look to know that the dementor was now in the room, though there was protective glass, everyone could feel it's presence, the cold child that filled the air. He could feel it too, she saw him wince, but he did not drop his smile, and he did not look away from her eyes. She shook head at him. She could see the dementor now, just above his head, Draco kept his brave face, that small smile stayed with him but she could see the second that he was no longer there. She knew exactly when it stopped being Draco Malfoy and started being an empty vessel.

It was then she snapped, as if her body knew that he was gone, that she could stop being strong, her legs collapsed beneath her, and she found herself crumpled on the floor, her chest was tight, she could feel herself beginning to panic. She knew she was crying, but her heavy yet extremely erratic breathing left no room for sobs, only streams of tears, her vision was beyond being blurry, she couldn't see anything. By the time her tears had stopped, she was sitting with her arms curled around her knees, her nails digging into the soft flesh, no doubt leaving marks. She was the only person in the room. Two guards had been in to the room, though she had ignored them both.

When Ginny Weasley walked in to the room her tears started once more, and her breathing sped up again.

"He's gone Gin. He's gone!" Seeing Hermione like that tore at the redheads heart, her friend looked broken, and she didn't know what to do. She did the only thing she could think of, and got down on the floor beside her. She threw her arms around Hermione and cried.

"I know Mione, I'm sorry." She couldn't think of anything else that she could say.

"I failed him."


End file.
